Showdown - MFSW vs. Sport Steering Wheel

[PaulW]

Background: I can now remove the airbag, steering wheel, cover for the steering column and self cancelling ring in about 4 minutes.

Why? Because I have frickin taken the thing on and off so many times!

I got an airbag warning light last weekend, the self cancelling ring was making nasty noise and then this week the data connection broke. Last night I took it apart to see if I could fix it....no dice. It has a 9' ribbon cable inside it to bring the connections across the rotating steering wheel:



What happened was a plastic piece broke off that prevents it from folding back on itself, and it folded back.....that little cushion piece above the copper is suppose to be on the inside diameter, held in place by a little plastic piece. The ribbon broke where it is bent backwards.





This week I called to see what a new self cancelling ring is.....Holy Cow Batman, $425 list price.....but I know now why that is. The back side of it houses the ESP part with steering angle and probably the computer....you can easily separate the two.





I'm going to go over to the dealer today and see how much a self cancelling ring from a car WITH MFSW and Heat but NO ESP....I can just swap the back part out to the new self cancelling ring.

Anyhoo....now for the Showdown:

MFSW
Got to love the MFSW! You cannot believe how it controls the radio and telephone and it gives me voice commands for the telephone, oh so nice. Heated, and tip on demand. How could you go wrong?

Funny thing, after I installed it, the car felt different. The girth of the wheel is less and the center airbag unit is so heavy as compared to the sport wheel. The car did not have the same turn in feel, felt much more like a quattro and pushed. Thought I was dreaming....how could PK be right????

Sport Steering Wheel
I put the sport steering wheel back on last night until I get the MFSW self cancelling ring worked out.....yep, it's true. The car feels better with the wheel. Crisper turn it.

I will have to weigh the wheel and air bag, but the airbag is lighter, and the wheel feels slightly heavier. Feels oh so nice.

I had sold it to Angus, but then got cold feet and refunded his money. I am considering tracking the car next year so I will keep it and swap it out for track weekends.

The tip on the steering wheel doesn't work due to wiring, but no big deal plus I have "S" mode which is better than tip IMO.

Other Wheels?
I am looking at this wheel from an 04 A8 which I believe had a single stage air bag. Right now I am upgrading my D3 Bently so I can start looking at the wiring diagrams......I think it should work. I like this one.....









They look like this, which doesn't look bad:



Don't need to do anything soon, just looking, giving me something to do.....

[PaulW]

They are crazy how many connections there are.....so I guess I just keep my old steering wheel!

[skiracer]

The only bad thing is that when the code pops up it disables the ABS. I suspect that the fault is in the canceling ring, but at over 400 clams I can likely live with it for some time (it only occurs once a week or so).

[PaulW]

If I wasn't going to keep both wheels, I would sell you one of my halves that have the electronics.

To do a basic setting, it's not real easy. Once I figured it out, it was.

You do a log in with a code, then you go to basic settings, then go to 001 and it calibrates the system.

Then you do something else to channel 3 to set the ESP steering angle.....my 3 ring binder (which is getting huge) is out in the garage, if you want, I'll post the details.

• Here's part of it, then you have to do channel 003 to set the abs, you also push on the brake pedal

[PaulW]

I think I have a cheap solution for you.

[skiracer]

[pkrasusky]

...very occasionally.

Er uh um... I'll, like, take that as like an, oh, compliment - or like something and stuff and things - I think. Thanks?

8-)

Bummer on the breakage, sorry to hear.

Wow them things are complex inside. Crazy.

I dig that 4 spoker with round hub... esp. the ***paddles***! Paddles in the RS6 whomp on cute little clickety buttons in my car yes.

Good luck, keep up the madness madman!

[PaulW]

I bought an extra connector for the self cancelling ring....I could just pigtail the three wires onto it and put them in parallel, when I track my car, I change the steering wheel, pull the self cancelling ring and plug in the alternate connector for tip on the wheel. I will do that, will be very simple.